The month of March is marching on with only a couple of days until we reach the vernal equinox when daylight hours equal the hours of darkness. This is when spring truly starts for me.
I was going to do a post purely about the yellow flowers appearing in my garden this week, but could only find four unless I repeated some of the narcissi.
First up is this lovely container full of dainty ‘Tête-à-tête‘ narcissi. The metal container is one of three from Sarah Raven and was intended for indoor use (it has no drainage holes), but the seams are not watertight so I shall use them outdoors with bulbs in spring and some type of patio annual for the summer. These bulbs will be transferred to the rockery wall once they finish flowering.
Moving to the gravel garden I was pleased to see the return of my Snake’s head fritillary / Fritillaria meleagris with its nodding, bell-shaped purple flowers. I’m still debating whether to remove the pebbles from this area and mulch it with bark, if I am then I need to do it soon before the rest of the plants start to grow.
More yellow in the shape of more Narcissi – this time a new variety for me is N. Jetfire. Seen on many of the SOS gardeners posts I decided it was time to give this one a go. A dainty hybrid with pointed, gracefully reflexed golden yellow petals and orange trumpet it is slightly taller than the Tête-à-tête‘ narcissi. I have noticed that the trumpets don’t look very orange when they first open, but change to orange as they mature. Again after flowering these will be transplanted into the rockery wall as it supposedly performs remarkably well in the garden year after year.
Somewhat surprisingly is discovering spring bulbs that I don’t remember planting. I think a lot pop up from where I have disposed of old compost out of the spring bulb containers and not properly emptied them. This beautiful blue Anemone coronaria is one of those.
More yellow, this time a shrub, Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca ‘Citrina’ which I purchased last summer. Two small plants both in containers for now until I decide on where to plant them. A sunny spot is required in order to enjoy the pale-yellow, lemon-scented pea-like blooms from December to mid-spring. I might try to grow them as climbers up my fence between the clematis next to my patio. That way I won’t have far to go in the winter months to smell them.
The final yellow at the moment is a species tulip. Grown for the first time last year I am happy to see the return of T. Sylvestris, the wild tulip or woodland tulip with lots of flower buds.
As you can see from these photos it has been a wet week (with the exception of Tuesday) and likely to continue into next week. I am more than ready for some sunshine!
Jim of Garden Ruminations is now our host and as a former nurseryman has a lot more than the SOS happening over on his blog so well worth following. As always, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to his site where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world. See here for the participant’s guide.
Cornwall in Colours 
We have also had ‘visitors’ appearing randomly around the garden. Although we have never planted any bulbs, Snowdrops, Daffodils, and Crocuses have all popped up this year.
Best wishes, Pete. x
I’ve never had any luck with snakes head fritillary. So thanks for sharing yours – and all your lovely flowers.
It used to thrive in our north east garden 🤗🩷
Damp spot?
By a shady fence 🤗🌺
I wasn’t sure they would return, but they do like a wet location and this corner of the garden remains quite claggy most of the year. I’m hoping the camassia flower better this year than last, they were pretty scruffy and not as many as were previously planted.
I suspect squirrels may move bulbs around.
The snake’s head fritillary is new to me. Thanks for posting the photos.
These like a moist location and once established seem to thrive. Better in a grassy meadow really.
Lovely garden images Jude! We have had various daffodils over the years. Many have disappeared as borders get changed but somehow Jetfire has managed to survive. They get less damage in wind than the taller and heavier-flowered daffs here too. 🙂
I tend to stick to the dwarf kind, though there are taller ones in the garden which I mean to remove every year! Then forget which ones are which…
These are all so beautiful!! Thanks for the uplift on another gloomy day in the frozen tundra.
Ah, sorry to here that! Hope it thaws soon. Meanwhile share my spring bulbs.
Not that soon. We still have a couple feet of snow on the ground…..however, next week will be warmer than in recent memory. Can’t wait!
Even though you may not have sunshine every day, your garden looks like sunshine! Beautiful photo of the blue Anemone. I have to say, the flowers actually look lovely with the rain drops on them … but don’t let that stop the sunshine!
Thankfully there is some sun today! And yes, flowers do look lovely with raindrops as long as they aren’t flattened!
I always enjoy my Saturday stroll around your garden and today’s is no exception. It’s lovely to see the sunny narcissi glowing despite the rainy weather!
We have actually got some hazy sunshine today so I am off out to do some weeding, it’s all a bit too wet to do much else.
Wet here but we’re promised sun tomorrow 🙂
Going to be busy out then with it being Mothering Sunday.
Very true 🙂
I hadn’t noticed but yes the snake’s head fritillaries have appeared here too! Gorgeous tête à tête photo.
Thanks Fred, it’s astonishing how quickly things appear once they get started.
The Citrina looks rather nice. We bought bulbs at the garden fair last year and this morning one of them is flowering. According to the Google app, Harlequin sparaxis. Sounds vagely familiar 🤣🩷 The white camelia has started to bloom too.
I have sparaxis too, bought by my son a couple of mother’s day ago, but they didn’t do very well – only one flower! My white camellia has started to open too, but already the petals are tinged with brown 😕
Well, this might be the only one but it’s a lovely dark orange colour 🤔💕
Mine was a peachy colour with maroon and yellow blotches, very pretty. Sad none of the others flowered. I left them in the pot so maybe there will be some this year? I think they are grown as summer flowering bulbs here. Flowered mid-April so fingers crossed!
I like garden surprises. 🥰 Nothing from the allium bulbs but a straggle of leaves. I live in hope .
Leaves always come first and then a flower spike should appear, the leaves get very tatty so I strip them off my plants. Purple Sensation doesn’t do very well for me, but Christophii does. What did you buy?
No clue! Sorry, been talking to James for past hour 🤭💗
Your Tete-a-Tete are gorgeous in that container – I think I need to be more adventurous in my choice of containers! Anemone coronaria is one lovely plant I fail to grow in my garden, so it’s lovely see yours – the colour is fabulous. Top of the list though are those gorgeous buds on your Tulip Sylvestris! 🙂
I wanted some fancier indoor containers so when SR had a sale I treated myself. She has some lovely containers but they are at an eye-watering price! These metal ones are useless indoors though as they leak so really suited to outdoors. I thought it might rust badly but so far it hasn’t. (Made from galvanised steel with a zinc coating)
I’ve noticed them in the past on SR, but didn’t buy. At the prices charged they really shouldn’t leak, though I expect it matters less outside. It’ll be nice to see what plants you you put into them after the Tete a Tete. 🙂
Fabulous. I do like the garden at this time of the year.
My favourite season.